Dangerous Games

by Tess Diamond

Overview

A 2017 RT Reviewer's Choice Nominee for Best Military/Law Enforcement Romantic Suspense!

In Tess Diamond’s gripping debut, when an elite negotiator and a security expert team up to solve a kidnapping, the only thing higher than the tension is the heat . . .

Maggie Kincaid left the FBI two years ago and didn’t look back . . . until now. A senator’s daughter has been abducted, and the nightmare set in motion isn’t just familiar to Maggie, it’s personal. She’ll need all the help she can get to bring Kayla Thebes home alive—even if that help comes from a hot-as-hell ex-soldier who plays by his own rules. . .

For Jake O’Connor, negotiation equals weakness. But he’s immediately drawn to the sexy former agent who epitomizes strength. It isn’t long before he and Maggie are working together 24/7, learning to read each other’s signals and wanting much more.

But for Maggie and Jake, letting their guard down—even around each other—may be dangerous. Now, as they close in on a kidnapper with nothing to lose, their first mistake could shatter a young girl’s last chance…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062655813
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	389
Sales rank:	153,355
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Tess Diamondis a romantic suspense addict with a taste for danger—and chocolate cake. She lives in Colorado Springs with her law enforcement husband, two kids, and a ferocious Jack Russell guard dog. She always dreamed of being an FBI agent, and now she almost is—if watching 24 reruns and plotting her next novel count.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/20/2017
Diamond’s outstanding debut is pure romantic suspense gold. Maggie Kincaid is a survivor—a killer attacked her and her sister, Erica, and only Maggie escaped. Determined to battle evil, she became an FBI profiler, but after failing to save a young girl in a hostage situation, she left her job in disgrace. Two years later, her FBI mentor calls in a long-overdue favor, and Maggie joins the effort to save a prominent senator’s 14-year-old daughter, Kayla Thebes, who’s been kidnapped. Kayla is an insulin-dependent diabetic, so the clock is ticking; Maggie’s determined not to have another death occur on her watch. Enter former Army Ranger and current gray-ops security expert Jake O’Connor, who quickly realizes that not everything is as it seems—including the questionable dealings and priorities of the seemingly distraught senator. Maggie and Jake work well together, and their chemistry is off the charts, but even this dream team may not be able to rescue Kayla in time. Diamond ably draws readers into a gripping tale full of twists and turns. Just when the path to the ending seems clear, Diamond throws in another red herring. Kayla’s fate is known by the end of the book, but the author leaves another tantalizing mystery unsolved, which readers will eagerly interpret as a sign that more Maggie Kincaid tales are on their way. Agent: Rebecca Friedman, Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Diamond’s outstanding debut is pure romantic suspense gold. Diamond ably draws readers into a gripping tale of twists and turns. Just when the path to the ending seems clear, Diamond throws in another red herring.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 04/15/2017
Struggling with the aftereffects of a kidnapping gone bad, former crack FBI negotiator Maggie Kincaid leaves the bureau and is not about to go back. Then a senator's insulin-dependent teenage daughter is snatched, and Maggie's shrewd former boss and mentor talks her into returning—temporarily, of course. Yet Maggie is determined to save the girl and without interference from arrogant Army Ranger Jake O'Connor. Jake is a covert missions expert on special assignment as the senator's security adviser, and his ideas are already conflicting with hers. Heat builds and awareness smolders from the start, but they soon learn that they need to keep their growing passions at bay in order to unmask a villain and save a girl whose time is running out. VERDICT Insightful character development, a smart and complicated plot, and sizzling sexual tension make this stunning debut a heart-stopping, stay-up-all-night read. Diamond lives in Colorado Springs.

Library Journal

2017-02-06
Maggie Kincaid, a former FBI negotiator working a sensitive kidnapping case, finds herself clashing with Jake O'Connor, a security expert also working the investigation, but as evidence of secrets and corruption emerge, he becomes her most trusted ally.Maggie has a "once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent" as a hostage negotiator, but she turned her back on her FBI career after a tragic mistake led to the death of a teenage girl. Now her mentor is asking her to come back to work a case that involves another teen, the daughter of a senator who proves to be less than forthcoming in the investigation. Jake, a former Ranger who consults on special cases, is also helping out. At first Jake thinks Maggie is mishandling the negotiation, but he soon comes to admire just how strong and smart she is and how well she's navigating the various players, most of whom have sexist chips on their shoulders. As Jake and Maggie dive further into the mystery, they realize the senator has a lot to hide, much of it illegal, and there are some powerful people who are far more concerned with keeping their secrets than with saving the girl. Maggie, who was abducted as a child, is infuriated by their interference and determined to save her, but when she doesn't know whom she can trust, Jake becomes a valuable ally. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, their attraction is sizzling, and the danger is rising. Maggie and Jake weren't looking for love, but now that they've found each other, they have to survive in order to consider a future together. Debut author Diamond writes a taut, compelling romantic thriller with believable villains, smart heroes, and a fresh plot that keeps readers engaged while keeping the door open for a sequel. Some details—particularly occasional D.C.-area geography and descriptions and the main sex scene, which seems out of character for laser-focused Maggie—miss the mark. A solid, appealing debut.

Kirkus Reviews